JPH0195051A - Starting system of printer on advance announcement - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the output time by instructing the printer to start after the control unit judges that a printing output is available from the input data. CONSTITUTION:When data is inputted from keyboard 1 and the execute mode key or transmission key is depressed, CPU3a makes the input data of transmission telegram to transmit it to the host. CPU3a retrieves the table 30 of memory 3 on the basis of the input data and responds to it. After checking flags for the availability of printing, CPU instructs printer 5 to rise before receiving data from the host if printing is available. Printer 5 rises to start and allows the photosensitive drum to rotate, thereby coming into 'Warming-up'. When a reception data is not thereafter transmitted during a fixed period of time from the host, the start command is turned off to stop the operation of printer 5, which, in turn, undergoes error processing. When a reception data is received during a fixed period of time, it is transferred to printer 5. Printer 5 writes the content of a bit map memory BMM to perform printing actions.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Table of contents) Overview Industrial field of application Prior art (Fig. 4) Problems to be solved by the invention Means for solving the problems (Fig. 1), working examples (a) Description of one embodiment (Figures 2 and 3) (b)
Description of Other Embodiments Effects of the Invention [Summary] This invention relates to a method for starting a printing device in advance, in which a printing device that is capable of printing is started in advance after a sira-ohm-up operation is performed in response to a start-up instruction for a laser printer or the like.

The purpose is to shorten the output time.

In a system having an input device for inputting input data, a marking device capable of performing a warm-up operation and provisional printout in response to a startup instruction, and a control device for obtaining print data based on the input data, the control device inputs the input data. Determine the presence or absence of print output from.

The configuration is configured to instruct the printing device to start up in response to determining that there is a print output.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a method for starting a printing device with advance notice, in which a printing device capable of printing is started in advance after a laser beam-up operation according to a start-up instruction of a laser printer or the like, thereby shortening the printing time.

Laser printers, LED printers, and the like that utilize an electrophotographic process are widely used because they are capable of high-speed printing and generate little noise.

Such laser printers require a predetermined warm-up time to start up the rotation of the photosensitive drum at a predetermined speed and to stabilize the charging characteristics of the photosensitive drum in order to change from a stopped state to a printable state.

In such printing devices that require warm-up, the printer is started up after the print data has been collected.

If the printer is warmed up, it will take a long time to complete printing, so there is a need for an advance notice activation method that allows the printer to be activated in advance.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 41 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art.

As shown in Figure 4, there are a keyboard (input device) 1, a display (display device) 2. It is assumed that a laser printer is connected as a printing device 5 to a workstation WS consisting of a control device 3 to which a magnetic disk device (external storage device) 4 is connected.

The workstation WS is connected to a TC (terminal controller) and a host, and sends and receives data.

The device 5 includes a print control section 5a having a page memory PGM and a bitmap memory BMM, and a printing mechanism section 5b, and performs printing on a page-by-page basis using an electrophotographic process.

This workstation WS prints output data for input data as shown in FIG. 4(B).

First, data is input from keyboard 1.

The control device 3 transmits input data to the host (or TC
) and receive the output data.

If the received output data is print data, the received data is stored in the page memory PGM of the printing device 5, and is developed into a dot pattern in the bitmap memory BMM.

At the same time, the control device 3 instructs the printing device 5 to start up and performs a warm-up operation.

When the warm-up operation is completed, the printing device 5 prints the contents of the bitmap memory BMM.

In such an printing device, if the photosensitive drum is always in a reloadable state (startup state), the photosensitive drum will constantly rotate, the life of the drum will be shortened, and running costs will be high.
It is also undesirable in terms of power consumption.

For this reason, the mark 11J is started only when necessary and is not started after the dot pattern is developed in the bitmap memory BMM, but is started in advance at the time of data reception.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

This type of advance warning is particularly effective when printing 1 to 2 pages per data output, and when outputting a large amount of data, the warm-up time of several seconds is relatively short. Not a problem.

For example, if the number of output pages is one, in the conventional technology, after data input is completed, there is a delay time of "2" for transmission, host processing, etc.
e Warm-up time t3. The sum of printing times t4 (t
*+”s +ta) It takes time.

For this reason, after the input operation, until printing is completed (mark 11)
The problem has arisen that it takes a long time (until the output is obtained), making it impossible to shorten the output time any further.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for starting a printing device in advance, which can further shorten the output time.

[Means for solving problems]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention.

Components in FIG. 1 (5) that are the same as those shown in FIG. 4 are indicated by the same symbols.

In the present invention, the control device 3 determines the presence or absence of print output from the input data of the input device 10, and instructs the print@1 device 5 to start up in response to determining that there is print output.

[For production]

The present invention determines the presence or absence of printing from input data and activates the printer in advance, whereas conventionally, the presence or absence of printing is determined from the received data and the printer is activated in advance, thereby shortening the output time.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1(B), after the input is completed, the printer is started with advance notice at the same time as sending, is warmed up, and is in the ready state with mark 11 until the print data is ready. The time is approximately (ts+t4), and the output time can be significantly shortened. [Embodiment] (a) Description of an Embodiment FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, the same parts as those shown in Figs. 1 and 4 are indicated by the same symbols, and 3a is a processor (CPU) that controls I10, transmission and reception with the host, etc. by executing a program. 3b is the memory and C
It stores programs, data, etc. necessary for the operation of the PU 3a, and has a mark @11 presence/absence determination table 30.

The print presence/absence determination table 30 includes input data and marks 1611
This is a correspondence table of presence/absence.

For example, a description will be given assuming that the workstation WS is an online counter terminal of a financial branch.

In these trading operations, 2. For example, the transaction type is specified by the transaction item code, transaction code, screen Nα on display 2, request) Nα, and various mode keys, 1 the transaction is specified by account number 9 ledger code, etc. In business, by specifying the type of transaction and the details of the transaction, it is possible to determine whether or not there is printing for that transaction.

For example, if the transaction item is a debt and the transaction content is specified, the output is a debt certificate, so the input data and data with printing may be stored in the table 30.

In this way, since the presence or absence of printing is known in advance from the input data, this is held as the table 30.

The presence or absence of printing is determined at the input stage and activated in advance.

FIG. 3 is a processing flow diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

■ When data is input from the keyboard 1 and the execution mode key or send key is pressed, the CPU 3a uses the input data as a transmission message and sends an upstream message (transmission message) to the host. ■ Next, the CPU 3a converts the input data into The table 30 in the memory 3 is indexed by , and the print presence/absence flag corresponding to the input data is checked to determine whether there is a mark ti:IJ (output form).

If there is no printing, 9 performs normal reception processing.0■ On the other hand, if there is printing, the CPU 3a issues a startup command (startup instruction) to the printing device 5 without waiting for data reception from the host.

As a result, the printing apparatus 5 is started up, rotates the photosensitive drum of the printing mechanism section 5b, operates the charger, etc., and warms up.

■ The CPU 3a then waits for the received data from the host, and if it determines that the received data is not sent within a certain period of time due to a failure of the center system, etc., it turns off the startup command, and
The operation of the printing device 5 is stopped.

Enter error handling.

(2) On the other hand, when the CPU 3a receives received data within a certain period of time, it transfers the received data to the printing device (LBP) 5.

In the printing device 5, after storing this in the page memory PGM,
A pattern is developed in the bitmap memory BMM, and the contents of the bitmap memo IJBMM are written on the photosensitive drum using a laser beam to perform a printing operation. .゛In this way, Fig. 1 β)
As shown in the figure, the warm-up time is overlapped with other processing required for one transaction (communication with the host, etc.), and the output time is minimized.

Further, since warm-up is not performed when there is no printing, unnecessary startup can be prevented.

Therefore, the print output is obtained after the input operation in the warm-up time t3+printing time t4, and the total printing time is significantly shortened, allowing the printing apparatus to be used quickly and effectively.

(1)) Description of other embodiments In the above embodiments, a laser printer was used, but the present invention can also be applied to printing apparatuses using other electrophotographic processes using LEDs, liquid crystal shutters, etc.

Moreover, other printing devices that require warm-up may be used.

Furthermore, although the explanation has been made using an online workstation that includes communication with a host, print data may also be obtained through local processing. For example, the file section 4 is searched based on the input data from the input section 1.

It may also be something that receives output data.

Furthermore, the application is not limited to financial services, but can also be applied to all other applications, such as personal combinators, terminal devices, word processors, etc.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention can be modified in various ways according to the gist of the present invention.

These are not excluded from the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, after the input.

It has the effect of minimizing the time required to print out, shortens the total output time, and makes effective use of the printing device.Especially, printing of one or two pages is frequently done. The effect is noticeable in what is done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a processing flow diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. In the figure, 1...keyboard (input device). 2...Display. 3...Control device. 5...Printing device. (B> 14-tl-+-t, 5---ri←t4---Anu/¥
: Utsuki Mehara Akira Utsuki Shiku Figure 1 Ichiyata 211 Processing Flow Figure 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] An input device (1) for inputting input data, a printing device (5) capable of printing out after a warm-up operation according to a startup instruction, and a control device (3) for obtaining print data based on the input data.
In the system, the control device (3) determines the presence or absence of print output from the input data, and in response to determining that there is print output, the control device (5)
) is a method for starting a printing device in advance.